The Utilities Pipeline Development for Advanced Technological Education (UPDATE) project at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College addresses critical issues in the advancement of educational materials to support the evolving energy utilities industry. As the electrical power Smart Grid is being developed in all parts of the nation, the educational and professional development products from the UPDATE project have the potential to benefit both employers and technicians in the energy utility industry. Supporting the development of the Smart Grid contributes to enduring, reliable delivery of electrical power, which is vital to economic health and national security. Project outcomes include developing pathways both for new entrants into the energy utilities workforce and for incumbent workers in need of currency in Smart Grid technology.
Smart Grid technology is changing the methods and the infrastructure used for the delivery of power on the nation's electrical grid. The UPDATE project supports the establishment of a more highly skilled and adaptable energy utilities workforce. This is being accomplished by producing educational materials for utilities technician education that are enhanced with competencies for Smart Grid technology. Additionally, the UPDATE project is:
The UPDATE project team is working with experts from the Electrical Power Research Institute to validate the new curricular materials, identify core competencies related to Smart Grid technician education and explore industry recognized credentials for Smart Grid technicians.
The UPDATE: Utilities Pipeline Development for Advanced Technological Education project is based at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). NWTC was founded in 1912 and is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Two other NWTC campuses are located in Marinette and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The college offers over 200 career-focused degree, diploma, certificate, and apprenticeship programs.
Amy Kox
Principal Investigator
Email: amy.kox@nwtc.edu
The National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program has been funding innovation at two-year colleges for over twenty years. With a focus on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy, and strong partnerships between academic institutions and industry, ATE promotes improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels.
To learn more about ATE, please visit the NSF ATE program home page.
Electrical Power Distribution Student working with high school student to experience lineman work.
Gas Utility students working together on field project.
The Utilities Pipeline Development for Advanced Technological Education (UPDATE) project recruits high school students to utility and energy careers with Tech Camps and Utility Preview Days. UPDATE's job fairs connect the college's utility students with employers. Forty-seven students earned Gas Utility Construction and Service Technical diplomas in 2017; 97% were hired immediately with an average salary of $57,663. Forty-one students earned Electrical Power Distribution Technical diplomas; 100% obtained jobs with an average salary of $65,514.The college leveraged UPDATE to secure a $150,000 state equipment grant, $400,000 in industry equipment donations, and voters' approval of a $7.1 million building project.
